Apparatus for treating cut oil and the like



Nov. 9 1926. 1,606,685

C. C. AVERILL APPARATUS Fon TREATING ouf: OIL AND THE LIKE Filed oct. 24, 192s 4 sheets-sheet 1 'NVENTOE Ci Ver// HTTOENEYS Nov. 9 1926.

C. C. AVERILL APPARATUS FOR TREATING CUT OIL AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 24. 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 9 1926.

C. C. AVERILL APPARATUS FOR TREATING CUT OIL AND THE LIKE Filed OCT.. 24. 1925 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Y www Nov. 9 1926.

C. C. AVERILL APPARATUS FOR TREATING CUT OIL AND THE LIKE Filed Oct. 24, 1923 4 SheetS-Sheel IML/.ENTOR CT CTV Ver// l vToEN/EY Patented Nv.^9, 1926. Y.)

UNiTaD STATES y -w y 1,666,685 PATENT OFFICE; f

cHAnLEs c. AvEnILL, or WICHITA FALLS, TEXAS, AssIeNoii, Br misiva ASSIGN- MEN'I's, To isnADYrnocEss COMPANY, or' sr. Louis, missounr, A conroaA'rroN.

i ArrAnA'rUs non TREA'IING our oIL AND THE' LIKE.

Application led ctober 24, i923. Serial No. 670,588.

This invention relates to the treatment -of crude oil emulsions ofthe kind commonly referred to as cut oil and roily oil for -thepurpose ofv eiiecting the separation of the oil in the emulsion fromthe water or brine and rendering the oil fit. for commercial use.

One processthat is used extensively for treating crude oil emulsions of the kind ref 1o ferred to contemplates introducing a treating agent into the emulsion so as to cause the emulsion to break, and thus permit the oil to separate from'the water and f oreign matter in the emulsion. The treating a ent can be introduced into the emulsion wile they emulsion is confined in a settling tank, or it can be introduced into the cinnlsion while it is traveling through the flow line leadin from the well in which the emulsion is pro uced, but when the treating agent is fed into the iiow line, it is necessary to use a ump, compressor or the like to introduce it into the flow line under pressure, owing to the fact that the ases which emerge Jfrom the ground with t e emulsion create considerable pressure in the flow line. The main object of my invention is to overcome the necessity of using a pump, compressor or the like to introduce a treat- 3o ing agent into crude oil emulsion before it is discharged from the well or while it is traveling through a iow line leading from the well to a settling tank..

To this end I have devised a process for treating crude oil emulsions that contemplates using the pressure of the gases that emerge from the ground with the emulsion to equahze a pressure in the container that holds a treating agent, thereby enabling the 40 treating agent to be fed by gravity to the point where it comesk in contact with the emulsion. I have also devised a novel apparatus for practicing my process, which, in its simplest form, consists of a container for holding the treating agent connected by a feed pipe to a well casing or to a flow line leading from a well, and a pressure equalizing pipe that establishes communication between the upper end of said container and said flow line or well casing, thereby producing the same pressure in l said container above the level of the treating agent therein that exists in the low line' or well casing, and thus causing the treatin agent .55 to be fed by gravity to the point w ere it 1s used. As such an apparatus overcomes the necessity of using a pump or the like to introduce a treating agent into a crude oil emulsion, it. is less expensive to 4build and operate than the line treating plants heretof ore used, and moreover, it enables the quantity of the treating agent that is introduced into the emulsion to be accurately regulated and ncontrolled, due to the fact that the treating agent is discharged from its container y gravity.

Figure 1 of the drawings illustrates one form of apparatus that may be used in practicing my process.

Figure .2 is an enlarged sectional View of the container for holdin the treating agent and the mechanism associated with said container for governing the dischargepof the treating agent from same.

Figures 3 and 4 illustrate other forms of 75 apparatusthat may be used for introducing a treating agent into a flow line; and

Figure 5 is a sectional view of an lapparatus embodying my invention that is adapted to be used for introducing a treating agent into the casing of a well in which crude oil emulsion is being produced.

In the various views of the drawings the reference character A designates a pipe lead- 'ing from the bottom of a well up through 85 Awhich crude oil emulsion of the kind commonly known as cut oil or oily oil is discharged by the pressure in the well or by means of a pump, B designates a settling tank that is connected by means of a flow 9o line 1 with the discharge pipe A of the well,

C designates a receiving tank for receivin and holding-oil which is fit for commercia use, cominonlyreferred to as pipe line oil, and D designates a container for holding a treating agent that is mixed with the crude petroleum traveling through the flow line 1 for causing said emulsion to break after the emulsion has entered the settling tank B, and thus permit the oil in the emulsion to lrise to the top of the mass and thereafter be discharged into the receiving tank C.

In the apparatus illustrated in Figure 1, which is particularly adapted for use with pumping wells, the container D consists of a closed'vessel or chamber of relatively small dimensions mounted on a riser 2 that projects upwardly from the flow line 1 and provided at its upper end with a filling valve 3 through which the treating agent w is n- 11s is arrangedat the side of the container, as

troduced 'into the container. A dischar e pipe 4 that leads from the lower end of t e container D anddischar'ges into the riser 2- is provided with a lvalve 5 for regulating the quantity. o f the treating agent that is admitted to the flow line and a glass gauge 6 shown in Figure 2, so as to enable the oper.- ator in charge of the apparatus to ascertain the quantity of treating agent in the container D. f `v In order that gravity may be used to carry the treating agent from the container D into the How line 1, I have provided the container D with' apressure. equalizing device consisting of a tube -7 arranged inside of said container with its upper end o n and in close proximity to the top of t e container D and its lower endl tapped onto the riser 2. When crude petroleum is pxassin from the well to the settling tank B t roug the flow line 1 that is connected to the discharge pipe A of the well, the gases in the flow line are free to enter the upper end portion of the container D through the riser 2 and pressure equalizing pipe 7 thereby causing the pressure in the upper portion of the container .D above the level of the treating a ent to be the saine as the pressure' in the ow line. Accordingly, the treating agent :v in the container can pass freely into the flow line 1 and mix with the troleum emulsion that is travelin throu i said line to the settling tank B. manipulating the valve 5 the operator. in charge of the apparatus can accurately regulate the amount of treating agent that is mixed with the emulsion traveling through the low line, said tlow line being equipped with a testin valve 8 arranged near the settling tan which the operator opens at intervals and draws olf a sample of the treated emulsion. In the ap aratus shown in Figure 3, which is particularly designed for use with flowing wells, the container D which holds the treating agent is formed from a piece of pipe, usually 10 or 12 inches in diameter, closed at its opposite ends and arranged1 in a 1iorizontal .position on supports 9 .four or nve feet above a ilow line 1 that is connected to the casing head E at the upper end of the `well casing. Said container D is provided at each end with a filling valve 3 through which the treating agent can be introduced into same and it is equipped with a glass gauge 6* for indicating the level of 'the treating agent and with a regulating valve 5n for governing thedischarge of the treating agent into the ow line 1. The

riser 2 on the llow line into which the treating agent is discharged from the controlling valve 5* extends upwardly to the upper side of the container D, so a's to permit the gas nuxed with the emulsion traveling throu h the ow line to pass upwardly through the riser 2and enter the top of the container D.

in, thus equalizing the ressure in said con- -abovethe level of the treating agent therep tainer and permitting t e treating agent to flow by avity from same into the flow line 1. Pre erabl an oil pipe 10 leads from the receiving ta when the ltreating agent that is used is of such a character that it is'necessary to mix oil with' same before said treating agent isadmitted to the flow line.

The apparatus illustrated in Figure 4 is also particularly adapted for use with pumping wells, and it is so constructed that the container in which the treating agent' is shipped from the .factory of the manufac- C to the container D so as to permit oil to be admitted to the container D A turer of the treating agent can be hooked up with the flow line 1, thereby overcoming the necessity of transferrin the treating agent from its shipping con ainer .toa separate container that forms an `integralpart of the tom and top of said drum are provided with threaded openings for receiving a discharge pipe and a pressure equalizing pipe, respectively. As shown in Figure 4, a discharge pipe that is connected to the bottom of the drum leads to a controlling valve 5" that governs the discharge of the treating agent from the drum into the iow line 1 and a riser Qb-that is tapped onto the Iiow line is connected with the top of the drum. A

glass gauge 6b is combined with the drum so as to enable the operator in charge of the apparatus to ascertain the quantity of treating agent in the container D. The operation of said apparatus is the same as the operation of the other forms of apparatus previously described. While I have herein illustrated each Vform of my apparatus as being uipped with a single settling tank, it will obvious that additional settling tanks may be used in case a relatively large quantity of crude petroleum is being discharged from the well.

In some instances it is desirable to introduce the treating agent into the emulsion before the emulsion is discharged from the well, and in such cases the container D that holds the treating a ent is mounted on a riser or feed pipe 2t at is connected with the head E of the well casing F, as shown in Figure 5. The gases in the well cas' F pass upwardly into the upper portion o .the container D through the pressure equalu izing tube 7 that is tapped onto the riser 2, thereby Great-ing the same pressure in the container D above the level of the treating agent therein that exists in the casing F of the lWell, and consequently, permitting the treating agent -to be dischargedby gravity from the container D into the well casing F down through which it passes to the emulsion y at the bottom of the well.

Havin thus described my invention, what I c aim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent'is:

An apparatus for treating crude petroleum emulsions,` comprising a tank, a iow adapted to serve is a conduit/for petroleum emulsion and gases which emerge from the ground with saidemulsion, an elevated oon- -tainer for holding a treating agent, a feed portion of said container, whereby the treating agent will flow by gravity through said feed pipe into the flow line, and an oil pipe leading from said oil tank to said container for permittin oil to be mixed with the treatl ing agent in t e container. line leading from a Well to said oil tank and CHARLES C. AVERILL. 

